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Effects of Coarse Woody Debris on Soil Temperature and Water Content in Two Reconstructed Soils in Reclaimed Boreal Forest. SOIL SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/soilsystems6030062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Coarse woody debris (CWD) and cover soils are used to expedite ecological processes in reclaimed boreal forests after oil sands mining. Soil water content and soil temperature are considered key factors for revegetation during mine reclamation as they impact soil surface and atmosphere interactions and plant growth. However, the effects of CWD and cover soils on soil water content and temperature are not well studied. This study assessed the impact of CWD size (large, small) and type (spruce: Picea mariana, aspen: Populus tremuloides) on soil water content and temperature in two soils constructed with forest floor-mineral mix (FMM) and peat-mineral mix (PMM)) at oil sands reclamation sites. Annual and summer precipitation showed year-to-year variability; mean air temperature did not. Soil cover type had a greater impact on moderating soil water content than CWD, with PMM having a stronger influence on water content and temperature than FMM. Adding CWD increased soil water content more in FMM than PMM, and the effect on soil temperature was mostly observed during the summer months. In PMM, spruce small CWD was associated with greater water content, whereas there was no distinct differentiation between CWD size and type in FFM. This study suggests application of CWD in FMM would be more beneficial than in PMM for reclamation.
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Merganič J, Merganičová K, Vlčková M, Dudáková Z, Ferenčík M, Mokroš M, Juško V, Allman M, Tomčík D. Deadwood Amount at Disturbance Plots after Sanitary Felling. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:987. [PMID: 35406968 PMCID: PMC9002879 DOI: 10.3390/plants11070987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Deadwood is an important component of forests that fulfils many ecosystem functions. The occurrence, amount and spatial distribution of deadwood in forest ecosystems depend on tree species composition, historical development and past management. In this presented study, we assessed the total amount of deadwood, including fine and coarse woody debris at five areas of predominantly broadleaved forests within the University Forest Enterprise of the Technical University in Zvolen, Slovakia that had been disturbed by windstorm Žofia in 2014. Windthrown wood was salvaged between May 2014 and October 2015. In the year 2018, we performed an inventory of deadwood that remained on-site after salvage logging. The mean volume of deadwood recorded at sample plots fluctuated between 35.96 m3/ha and 176.06 m3/ha and mean deadwood coverage values at individual disturbed areas ranged from 7.27 to 17.91%. In the work, we derived several models for the estimation of deadwood volume based on deadwood coverage and/or diameter, which showed that these characteristics are good proxies of deadwood volume. The tests, involving close-range photogrammetry methods for deadwood quantification, revealed that the number of pieces and the coverage of deadwood recorded in photos was significantly lower than the values derived from field measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ján Merganič
- Department of Forest Harvesting, Logistics and Ameliorations, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia; (M.V.); (Z.D.); (M.F.); (M.M.); (V.J.); (M.A.); (D.T.)
| | - Katarína Merganičová
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 6-Suchdol, 16500 Praha, Czech Republic;
- Department of Biodiversity of Ecosystems and Landscape, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Akademická 2, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Mária Vlčková
- Department of Forest Harvesting, Logistics and Ameliorations, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia; (M.V.); (Z.D.); (M.F.); (M.M.); (V.J.); (M.A.); (D.T.)
| | - Zuzana Dudáková
- Department of Forest Harvesting, Logistics and Ameliorations, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia; (M.V.); (Z.D.); (M.F.); (M.M.); (V.J.); (M.A.); (D.T.)
| | - Michal Ferenčík
- Department of Forest Harvesting, Logistics and Ameliorations, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia; (M.V.); (Z.D.); (M.F.); (M.M.); (V.J.); (M.A.); (D.T.)
| | - Martin Mokroš
- Department of Forest Harvesting, Logistics and Ameliorations, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia; (M.V.); (Z.D.); (M.F.); (M.M.); (V.J.); (M.A.); (D.T.)
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 6-Suchdol, 16500 Praha, Czech Republic;
| | - Vladimír Juško
- Department of Forest Harvesting, Logistics and Ameliorations, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia; (M.V.); (Z.D.); (M.F.); (M.M.); (V.J.); (M.A.); (D.T.)
| | - Michal Allman
- Department of Forest Harvesting, Logistics and Ameliorations, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia; (M.V.); (Z.D.); (M.F.); (M.M.); (V.J.); (M.A.); (D.T.)
| | - Daniel Tomčík
- Department of Forest Harvesting, Logistics and Ameliorations, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia; (M.V.); (Z.D.); (M.F.); (M.M.); (V.J.); (M.A.); (D.T.)
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Forsch KBC, Dhar A, Naeth MA. Effects of woody debris and cover soil types on soil properties and vegetation 4–5 years after oil sands reclamation. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Amalesh Dhar
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - M. Anne Naeth
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
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Das Gupta S, Pinno BD. Drivers of understory species richness in reconstructed boreal ecosystems: a structural equation modeling analysis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11555. [PMID: 32665642 PMCID: PMC7360749 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68353-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Understory vegetation accounts for the most diverse part of the plant community in boreal forests and plays a critical role in stand dynamics and ecosystem functions. However, the ecological processes that drive understory species diversity are poorly understood and largely unexplored for reconstructed boreal ecosystems. The current study explored the relationships between understory species richness and biotic and abiotic factors in sites reclaimed after oil sands mining in northern Alberta, Canada, three and six growing seasons post-reclamation. Reclaimed sites with two main surface soils, forest floor mineral soil mix (FFMM) and peat mineral soil mix (PMM), were used along with post-fire benchmarks. A number of soil physicochemical (including nutrients) and vegetation properties were measured and considered in the a-priori hypothesis framework. Structural equation models (SEM) were used to evaluate the multivariate relationships. In general, the FFMM sites had greater species richness than the PMM sites, even six growing seasons after reclamation. A maximum 254% increase in graminoid and shrub cover was observed on FFMM between year 3 and 6 post-reclamation, whereas a maximum 137% increase in forb and bryophyte cover was recorded on PMM. The post-fire sites showed a significant increase (70%) only in shrub cover. Major driving factors of understory species richness varied among soil types. The SEM revealed a strong interdependency between species richness and soil and vegetation factors on FFMM with a positive control from soil N on species richness. In contrast, on PMM soil nutrients had a negative effect on species richness. Temporal changes in the drivers of species richness were mostly observed on FFMM through a negative vegetation control on species richness. The models and significant causal paths can be used in monitoring changes in understory species relationships in reclaimed sites and in identifying future research priorities in similar systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanatan Das Gupta
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada.
| | - Bradley D Pinno
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
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